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Rugged, off-roader-styled SUVs are all the rage but there’s one car that has always stood head and shoulders above them all in terms of space and comfort allied to genuine go-anywhere ability - the original Range Rover, which was launched in 1970.

As with the case of the more utilitarian Land Rover, prices of original, Mk1 cars have skyrocketted in recent years, in part due to their general appeal as a durable classic but also because more recent Range Rovers have inexorably moved upmarket to become a luxury conveyance, at odds with the original’s design brief.

This 1978 Range Rover finished in the period colour of Bahama Gold is the first of 10 Mk1 acars in the first batch, each costing from £135,000

When it comes to utilising their heritage, few - if any - manufacturers are as proactive as Land Rover. Last year it launched a restoration programme called Land Rover Reborn, in which the 4x4 maker scours the world for the best examples of original Land Rovers them restores them to as-new condition in its workshop at Solihull which previously housed the production line for the long-running Defender (itself closely related to the Series 1 Land Rover).

Now the company has applied the same business acumen to launch Range Rover Reborn, in which comprehensively restored examples of the original - and now highly collectable - Range Rover can be bought directly from the people who made it all those years ago.

The first fruits of the programme will be revealed at the annual Rétromobile classic car show in Paris from February 8-12. Land Rover Classic’s stand at the French extravaganza will feature this stunning 1978 Range Rover finished in the period colour of Bahama Gold.

The meticulously restoration includes the engine bay, housing the familiar Rover 3.5-litre V8

Under the bonnet is the familiar 3,528cc V8 with a Zenith carburettor supplying the petrol/air mixture to each bank. It develops 132bhp at 5,000rpm, with 186 lb ft of torque at 2,500rpm.

Although modern Range Rovers have automatic gearboxes and sophisticated electronics to aid off-road forays, this car has a four-speed manual gearbox with a lockable central differential for traction in extremis.

Land Rover Classic will be restoring an initial batch of 10 Mk1 Range Rovers, each priced from £135,000.

It promises a complete restoration according to Land Rover’s original 1970s factory specification and using Land Rover Classic Parts to maintain authenticity. Its restoration team will also advise customers of the best options for the base vehicles – in terms of collectability, preferred chassis numbers and unique characteristics.

A panel certifying the car's Reborn provenance is attached alongside the VIN plate

Tim Hannig, director of Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said: “Range Rover Reborn is another showcase of our dedicated in-house engineering expertise. It underscores our commitment to nurturing the rich heritage of Land Rover, and is a rare opportunity for customers to own a valuable and genuinely collectible automotive icon.

“It is a wonderful way to preserve the much sought-after three-door original Range Rover from the Seventies, from period-correct colours to interior trim and accessories.”

The Range Rover was produced in two-door form only from 1970 right up to 1981, when the first factory four-door was introduced. In fact it proved so popular that production of the first generation Range Rover continued alongside its replacement for almost two years. This is when the name Range Rover Classic was introduced to distinguish the original from the second-generation model.

Another manifestation of Jaguar Land Rover Classic’s illustrious heritage will also be on display in Paris, with the European debut presentation of the “new original” Jaguar XKSS. It is one of nine “continuation” cars Jaguar will produce to the exact 1957 specification, using the original drawings and even some of the production techniques. Each will be completely new, with period chassis numbers from the XKSS chassis log. All are now sold, with each buyer paying more than £1 million.

The XKSS was originally made by Jaguar as a road-going conversion of the Le Mans-winning D-type, which was built from 1954-1956. In 1957, nine XKSS cars due to be exported to the US were destroyed in a fire at Jaguar’s factory at Browns Lane in Coventry, meaning that only 16 of the planned run of 25 examples were sold.

As if that weren’t enough, the Jaguar Land Rover Classic stand at Rétromobile will also feature the first fully factory-restored original E-type Fixed Head Coupé. The privately-owned, French-registered 1962 E-type wears reverse-engineered body panels produced in-house, while its original 3.8-litre straight-six engine and gearbox have been reconditioned.